Immigration Help

[Esky85]

Hi all,

I have acquired a marriage certificate for my wife's 3rd Great Grandparents. Their names are Johann Franz and Metta Otken (or Ottkin, Otkin), married on 13Aug1850 in Melbourne, Australia. Johann may have gone by the name John after being in Australia for a while and Metta's full name is likely Martha Metta Otken.

How would I go about finding immigration records for them? I believe they both came from Prussia but I'm unsure if they knew each other there and came together to Australia.

Cheers
Esky85

[miriamkinga]

Death for a son from familysearch?

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLJ4-SM8

[Billyblue]

Welcome to RootsChat, Esky.
Can we surmise from your 'name' that you are in Australia - your profile is not very informative.

If you are, and in a major city, you may be able to consult the "Emigrants from Hamburg" series produced by the QFHS Inc. These cover 1850-1879. 
If you aren't, let me know by Friday, and I"ll try to have a look on Saturday when I'm on library duty at QFHS.

Otherwise, have a look on the Resources Board for Australia which will give you sites for looking for immigration records etc.

Dawn M

[Esky85]

Yes, I am near Newcastle, Australia. My profile is bare because I only joined up yesterday.

I don't think 1850-1879 records will help though because he was in Melbourne already from his 1850 marriage cert. Any way to go back further? In the mean time I'll check out the resources board.

Thanks miriamkinga, that's one of his kids. First son actually. In my tree on ancestry he was Johann Heinrich Franz but was known as John Henry to make it sound more local.

Edit: I've looked at all the immigration resources on this site and have had no luck finding either of them.

[giblet]

Like your username Esky 

Have you tried the National Archives Australia site to see if they applied for naturalisation?

http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/search/

You dont have to register to use it just click on "begin your search" and put the name in "keywords"

[majm]

Welcome to Rootschat

Arriving 1850 or earlier ... Ummm ... Vic was still part of NSW until 1851 so try NSW State Records Office ... lots of passenger lists there...

Esky ... OH and I  are usually at Nords Wharf but currently at Alice Springs

Cheers JM

[Billyblue]

I don't think 1850-1879 records will help though because he was in Melbourne already from his 1850 marriage cert. Any way to go back further? In the mean time I'll check out the resources board.
Edit: I've looked at all the immigration resources on this site and have had no luck finding either of them.

Well if they weren't married until August 1850 in Melbourne, that gives you 7 months of 1850 from the "Emigration from Hamburg" series    
A lot of the people in this series are not shown on immigration lists, and the series was indexed largely from newspaper reports etc from Germany, I understand.  I'll try to have a look on Saturday.
Dawn M

[majm]

Here is the link to the NSW SRO's keyword search option

http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/indexes-online/indexes-online   

May I ask if you have your chap's death cert?   If so, does it show "how long" in the colonies? 

Have you considered asking for this thread to be moved to RChat's Australia Board, to get the eyes of lots of Aussie Chatters?

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

Here’s an RChat link detailing what to expect on a Vic death cert.   As you can see, Vic BDM certs are among the best official records for the depth of detail.   

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,373754.0.html


As an aside,

The Public Records Office of Victoria has the Probate file for a John FRANZ, Cabinet Marker of Fitzroy available online at no charge.  He died 27 June 1884.

There are actually 3 different sets of digitised files  re the Probate that are available to be downloaded for that chap.   Metta FRANZ is mentioned in the Will, as are several of their children.

http://prov.vic.gov.au/


Cheers,  JM